In early September, the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas spent time in Cairo trying to explore the chances of launching an initiative on the political horizon. He spoke with President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi about the Palestinian effort to upgrade the PA from an observer state to a full member state in the United Nations. But the situation on the ground is deteriorating, with terrorism rearing its head with more and more terrorist attacks. The IDF's activity in Palestinian cities continues, but all of this did not prevent the president from leaving Ramallah precisely during days of uncertainty and continued escalation.
Lack of leadership and loss of control
When there is a chaos in your home, you can always escape to a place where red carpets will be rolled out for you and you will be received with generosity that you lack among your own people, especially if the pressure is starting to close in on you from other directions. The concealed public protest and unrest within Fatah institutions have not given the 87-year-old Palestinian leader an easy time.
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To add insult to injury, there are also statements made by senior officials in Israel who have criticized him for the lack of leadership and loss of control. Many in Ramallah believe that the Israeli attacks, and especially the publicity they have received, only contribute to weakening Abbas. "You are talking about steps to strengthen the PA. First of all, the more you talk about it in the open, the greater the chances that you will achieve opposite results. The Palestinian people want to see their leader strong in his own right and not because of Israel's generosity. When Israel says it wants to strengthen him, it casts him as its subcontractor. And then senior Israeli officials attack him in front of the whole world for having lost control. How exactly is this supposed to strengthen him? Messages need to be passed on quietly," say Palestinian officials.
Where is Mahmoud Abbas?
Despite the discontent among the masses, Abbas has yet to convene the senior Palestinian agency for an urgent or special meeting to come up with a plan on what action to take and where to go from here; he hasn't even addressed it in a nominal way. He constantly consults in closed "cabinet" meetings with his two senior associates, Hussein al-Sheikh and Majed Faraj, in what has become an unofficial forum of a "think tank." He ultimately calls the shots but in the meantime, the Palestinian leadership is nowhere to be seen.
People in the Palestinian towns are wondering where Mahmoud Abbas is. He used to make addresses to the nation, but that has stopped. There was a time when the Palestinians saw him as a leader with presence and authority, but this too has greatly changed. Even those who were opposed to his ways and did not agree with his moves and policies, knew how to respect him. In the past, the people felt that, despite the corruption, personal interests, and petty politics – there was someone they could trust and that there was someone in the presidential office who was watching over them. This feeling gradually faded. Not only does the Palestinian public no longer believe in their leaders, they are now also asking questions and want a course correction.
"The public won't keep quiet forever"
Why are so many youngsters who complete their academic degrees forced to work in jobs that are not suited to their skills, while others who are less talented manage to secure desirable positions, only because they are close to people of power? Where are the hospitals and medical centers that the Palestinian ministers promised to set up in various locations, such as in Hebron?
"Mahmoud Abbas and Hussein al-Sheikh cannot feel the pain of residents: How people live, the lack of medical care for the sick, none of this interests them. People are tired of living in horrid conditions, while the powerful officials in Ramallah are enjoying the good life. The public will not remain silent forever," one person told me, and others echoed it.
Solidarity with the Terrorists
The incidence of armed people in the streets is disturbing and dangerous, but more than that, Mahmoud Abbas should be highly concerned by the disgust that the Palestinian public is feeling towards the existing situation and the desire they have for change. Palestinian terrorists in Nablus and Jenin have so far been perceived by certain sections of the Palestinian public as problematic criminals, but all this might change. And now the public might start to show expressions of solidarity with the terrorists on the Palestinian street.
No one should underestimate the diplomatic moves that Abbas is trying to pursue. According to Palestinian sources, the diplomatic initiative, even if only "on paper," may somewhat benefit Mahmoud Abbas and present him as someone who is still bringing something worthwhile to his people. This matter has become even more urgent now, considering the high tensions and escalation on the ground. But, this might not be the most urgent move that the Palestinian public needs from its leader right now, because if in the end, Abbas fails to deliver results on the diplomatic front, which is supposed to be his strong suit, he may suffer even greater humiliation among the masses.
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